Clutch mechanism for looms



.April 17, 1928.

@diff/W u J. NoRTHRoP CLUTCH razcmuusra` FOR Looms Filed June 17., 15222 Shea wen/ivy:

April 17, 1928.

- J. NORTHROP CLUTCH MEGHANISM FOR Looxas 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June17, 1922 lwenivn' Patented Apr. 17, 19278.

\ UNITED STATES 'PA-Tsar OFFICE.

MENTS, TODRAPER CORPORATION, OF-HOPEDALE, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORA- rIoNor MAINE.

CLUTCH MECHANISM FCR LOOMS.

Application led June 17, 192.2. Serial No. 569,107.

This invention relates to an improvement in clutch mechanism for looms..

The object of the invention 1s to reorganize and improve' the clutchmechanism for' looms, more particularly with respect to the mechanismforl stopping and starting the loom. To the above end, the presentinvention consists in the improved clutch mechanism for Aloomshereinafter described and particularly dened in the claims.

In the accompanyng drawings illustrating the preferred form oftheinvention, Fig. l1 is a plan of one end portion ot' the loom, showingthe improved mechanism for'stopping and starting the loom; Fig. 2 is anend elevation of the portion shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a verticalsection on the line v3 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a vertical sectionaldetail on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a detail in front elevationshowing the con-` struction ofknockeoff lever; and Fig. 6 is a verticalsectional detail on the line 6-6 of Fig. 1.

The illustrated embodiment of the linve'ntion is described as follows:The end frame 10 of the loom .is of the usual construction,"

having a bearing 12 in which the crank shaft crank or lay shaft 1l.

or lay shaft 11 is journaled. The outer end of the lay shaft 11 issupported in an outboard bearing 14, secured to and supported by abracket 16 bolted to the end frame 10, and supported upon the auxiliarystrut 18, as shown in Fig. 2. A threaded bolt 20 is provided for'thepurpose of insuring the maintenance of the mit-board bearing 14 at theproper level to secure alinement of the A clutch disk 22 is keyed orotherwise secured to the lay shaft 11 to rotate therewith, and isprovided on its outer surface with a plurality of friction disks 24,preferably cork, arranged in double rows, as shown in dotted linesin.Fig. 2. vA loose pulley 26 is adapted to be driven by a belt, notshown, and provision is made for moving the loose pulley 26 axially lofthe lay shaft 11 into engagement with the friction disks 24 upon thesurface of the disk 22 in order totransmit power from the puls ley 26 tothe lay shaft 11. l

The movements of the loose pulley 26 axially of the lay shaft 11 into'and out of engagement with the clutch disk 22 are controlled bymovements of a knock-off leverf 30, by mechanism which is described asfollows: The hub 32-of the loose pulley is provided with an annulargroove 34 in .whichv is loosetly received a linger 36 depending from ae-clutching arm 38, secured in fixe relation to a clutch lever 40 by abolt 42, the lever 40 being pivoted, as will be described at 44, seeFig.`1. The end of the clutch lever 40 is shaped to form cam surfaces46, 48, which cooperate With-a cam roll 49 and cam lug 50, both upon theend of one arm 52 of a. bell crank lever 53, pivoted at l54 upon `thebracket 16.` The second arm 56 of the bell crank is extended through a.

slot 60 in a. casting 62 secured to the knockoll lever by-a stud bolt63. The end of tbe lever 40 remote-from the cam surfaces 46, 48, isshaped as shown in Fig. 1, and in detail yin Fig. 4, having a yoke shaed piece 62 embracing the extended end o the hub 32 of the pulley 26.-Pins 68 projecting from a. collar 70, loosely mounted upon the extendedportion of the hub 32, .are received within a slot 74 and hole 75 in theupper and lowermembers of the yoke, respectively, see Figs. 3 and 4.Fibre washers 76 are interposed between the collar and a shoulder 77upon the hub 32 of the pulley.

The clutch lever 4() is provided with a. bearing portion mounted uponthe hollow stud 78, which latter is provided with a ,shoulder 8() forsupporting the lever 40 in extended portionI ofthe bracket 16. By

loosening the nut 84, the pivot stud f78 may be adjusted laterally tocorrect position to operate the `clutch properly, an adjusting bolt 94being used to move the stud 78 inwardly to adjusted position where itwill be secured in place by screwing up the nut 84. The bolt 94 isprovided with a check nut for locking it in place.

The bell crank lever .53 is operated from the knock-off lever 30, andthe cam surface 46 with which the cam roll 49 engages, is

abrupt so that when'the knock-oli:l lever is pulled upon to close theclutch, the oscillation imparted to the clutch lever 40 by theknock-olii` lever is of greater amplitude than that of the bell cranklever 53, but after f of the Iclutch I lever.

clutch surfaces in contact, a considerable movement of the knock-'ofi'lever-30 is required to move the cam roll 49 over the cam surface 48 ofthe clutch lever 40, so

that the leverage employed to close thev clutch with driving pressure'is great, and` the operative, without. great strength, can closetheclutch and start the loom, because of the leverage during the closingmovement surface 48 is substantially radial to the pivot of the bellcrank lever for the purpose of locking the latter closed. The camsurfaces 46v and 48 comprise a self locking cam.v

When the loom istknock-otf by disengaging the knock-ofi' lever from itsnotch, the bell crank lever 53 moves in the opposite direction,- and thelcam lug engages the opposite side of the clutch lever 40, and pushes itin a direction to open the clutch. The

` declutehing arm 38 pulls the movableclutch member out of engagementwiththe driving disk of the loom.

. It 'is toI be understood that the invention may be embodied lin othervforms within th'e scope of lthe following claims. j

Having thus described the invention,

what is claimed is;

.1. A loom having, in combination, aA frame, a knock-olflever mounted onthe.

frame, a shaft, a disk secured thereto having a series of frictionmembers on vone surface thereof, a driving. pulley capable of movementinto engagement with the friction members upon said disk,vconnectionsbetween said pulley and the knock-olf .lever includin a bellcrank lever arranged to be move by the knock-ofi lever, a pivotedleverconnected to the pulley and havinga cam surface cooperating withone. arm of the bell crank to cause axial movement of the pulley intoengagement with the fric-- tion members on the disk when the knockori'lever is moved into a position to start the loom, said bell crank' leverbeing provided with an arm that extends approximately at right angles tothe portion of said pivotedv lever with which it cooperates through saidcamv vsurface and having a part to engage and positively actuate thepivoted lever to' release the friction driving members.

" 2. A loom having, Vin combination, a frame, a knock-ofiv lever, aclutch controlling the ,operation of the loom, and 'connections betweenthe knock-off lever and the clutch, including a clutch lever, and a bellcrank lever having one larm connected with the knock-olf lever and thesecond arm positioned to extend. at approximately right angles to theclutch lever to positively shift the latter to and from the clutchclosing position, and a cam connection between said arm and clutch leverand operable to move the latter to its clutch closed position with- Theend of the cam Athe clutch has been moved to bring thea yquick initial.movement and-slower nal movement and to lock the clutch lever intheclutch closed position. '3.v A loom having, in combination, a frame,

a driven shaft, a clutch member on the shaft,

a drivingpulley movably mountedv on the -to be engaged by the yoke tomove the pulley into clutch closed position, said clutch lever i l beingprovided with a'declutehing memberengaging the .declutching groove in'thepulley hub, and also provided with a cain- 'i shaped end,l a secondlever provided 'with twoportions to engagev the opposite sides ofv thecam end of t e clutchlever, thel cam end of the clutch lever beingprovided with a steep portion and a locking portion onthe".

one sidefor engagement with o ne of the projections on the second lever,'the steep por ytion acting to move the lever to cause the pulley tocome into contact with the clutch member on the shaft, andthe otherportion acting to give .the pulley its nal movement into clutch-closedposition, the other portion on the second lever engaging theoppositeside of the clutch lever when the second lever is moved in the oppositedirection to positively move the clutch lever in the di-4 rection topull the pulley away' from the clutch member on the driven shaft.

4. A loom having a driven shaft provided with a clutch member secured toit, a pulleyy provided with a hub having a declutching groove and aclutching shoulder, a clutch.4

operating lever,l a stationary bracket provided with a slot, a secondbracket provided with a second slot, a bolt extending through bothslots, asleeve on the bolt .forming a pivot, the clutch lever beingmounted on the sleeve, one of the brackets being provided with anadjusting screw having its end in engagement with a fiange on thesleeveact-l ing when the bolt is loosened and the screw is turned toadjust-the position of the sleeve and therefore the position of thepivot of the vclutch lever, a collar on the pulley hub adapted to exertclutch closing pressure on the imA shoulder and provided with pins, theclutch lever being provided with a yoke having slots adapted to receivethe pins, the clutch -lever also being vprovided with a deelutehf ingmember secured to the clutchv lever and i having a portion engaging the'declutching groove in the pulley hub. 5. A loom having, in combination,a frame, a knock-oli' lever, a clutch for controlling .the operation ofthev loom, and connections between thel knock-off lever and clutch forpositively closing the clutch as the knock-off lever is moved in onedirection and'for posi.-

ipsum? `tively opening the clutch as the -knock-of lever 'is moved.in'the opposite direction, incl-uding a clutch lever operable to o n and'close said clutch, a lever operable knock-off lever and hav' y said an'arm that extends at approximately right angles to wthe clutch` lever,and4 a vcam4 for 4transmitting movement fromsaid arm to the clutohlever` and provided with avsteep portion for bringing the clutchsurfaces qnioklyl into engagement and a less steep portion for exertmg afinal clutchingupresslure u n said surfaces land for holding the clutchever locked in the final clutch applying position, .and means.associated -v'vith said arm for positively movthe clutch lever to theclutoh open posiing tion. v JONAS NOR'VIHROP.

